Founder Profile

Pew is an independent nonprofit organization – the sole beneficiary of seven individual trusts established between 1948 and 1979 by four generous and committed siblings. Learn more about one of our founders: Mary Ethel Pew.

Federal laws and regulations affect the lives of every American. Pew’s national policy agenda has included work to improve the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices; make meals and snacks served in schools healthier; address the challenge of antibiotic resistance; foster a robust dialogue on economic mobility; and provide consumers with better information about financial products. And by focusing on ocean conservation and wilderness protection Pew applies the best science to maintaining America’s beauty and natural resources for future generations.

Issue Brief

Where States Get Their Money

Taxes and federal funds together account for 81 percent of revenue for the 50 states. Taxes are the largest revenue source in 46 states, while federal funds are greatest in three. But neither is the primary contributor to government coffers in one state: Alaska. This infographic displays a breakdown of each state's revenue, by major categories.

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OUR WORK

Related Projects

Broadband Research Initiative

Broadband connects communities to an increasingly digital world. It has transformed industries, changed the way we access goods and services, and become an indispensable part of modern life. Yet despite more than two decades of public and private...

Pew’s retirement savings project studies the challenges and opportunities for increasing retirement savings. The initiative, which fosters policy discussion on how best to ensure that everyone can save a sufficient amount for retirement, examines...

The fiscal challenges facing all levels of government are focusing attention on the federal-state relationship and leading to discussions about how costs should be allocated among local, state, and the federal governments. Pew provides policymakers...

The United States has over 3.5 million miles of shoreline, and coastal counties are home to more than 123 million people. These areas, often heavily populated and highly developed, are at risk from floods and hurricanes. Pew’s initiative focuses on...

Pew works with states to advance data-driven, fiscally sound policies and practices in the criminal and juvenile justice systems that protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and control corrections costs....

Pew, in collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is working on a national initiative designed to promote the use of health impact assessments, a flexible, data-driven approach that helps decision-makers identify the health consequences...

Annual spending on prescription drugs exceeds $450 billion and is projected to outpace growth in other parts of the U.S. health care sector over the next decade. Pew’s drug spending research initiative examines the underlying drivers of rising...